I was sitting in my cabin working on a few projects when I heard tapping on the window. It was incessant tapping with a start and stop rhythm reminiscent of Bulls on Parade. It turned out to be a Junco attacking itself.

It’s nesting season. Juncos, Stellar Jays, and other birds become quite territorial during the breeding season. When the bird sees its own reflection, it thinks it is another bird. When the bird strikes at the reflection, it strikes back. Unless you shoo them away or take other measures, the bird will go on like this for hours.

One of the ways to tell that you’ve passed from the Atlantic Ocean into the Southern Ocean is the appearance of albatrosses. This Royal Albatross is one of the several kinds of sea birds that became constant companions to the Polar Star during my recent expedition to Antarctica.

Like many living creatures on earth, the albatross faces many threats. 100,000 albatrosses die each year from ingesting fish hooks. Most of the hooks are discarded by fishing boats when the fisherman toss out waste and bait. BirdLife International is trying to stop these deaths with their Save the Albatross campaign. Check it out.